Calling Bluffs
by Faulty Paragon
Summary: AU. Pyrrha is presenting a paper at a week-long academic conference in Argus. She isn't expecting to 1) be partnered up with someone for the trip, nor 2) secretly join her professors' betting pool for whether she'll date her partner by the end of the week. Thankfully, this Jaune guy is down to split the money they'll win at the end- they just can't fall in love. Arkos.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So here's an Arkos idea (1 of like… 500) that's been stewing in the back of my mind for a few weeks. While it's currently not on my weekly update roster, if there's enough people who want to follow it I'll readjust my update schedule to slot this in. If not, it'll be more of an 'update whenever ready' kind of deal.

Is the fake-dating thing super cliché? Yes. Do I have any shame? No. So here's a (reverse) fake-dating fic. (It'll get to the avoiding-fake-dating thing later, don't worry)

Let me know if you want to see more of it!

* * *

Calling Bluffs

"Excellent work, Pyrrha. With that, I'd say you're about as ready for next week as you'll ever be. Otherwise, are you all ready to go for tomorrow?" the blonde woman asked primly. She folded her arms and leaned back against her desk, eyes flashing over her round spectacles. Judging by the small, expectant smile on her face, however, she already knew the answer she'd receive.

She was correct to assume. Pyrrha Nikos was always ready for anything. "Yes, I can't wait!" the redhead replied, closing her laptop with a sigh. "I'm just going to have to finish packing, but I'll be ready to head out by tomorrow morning!"

Pyrrha stretched, feeling the tension ease from her tight back. After practicing her upcoming presentation for what felt like hours with the elder woman (although today's session had realistically only been forty-five minutes), she finally felt confident and ready. All she needed to do now was relax.

The late afternoon sunlight streaming through the windows of the cozy office space filled the room with a comforting glow, and the young woman gladly took a moment to simply bask in the warmth of it all. She wasn't going to be able to enjoy such warm weather for much longer- not where she was going.

_Going back home, huh? _It was weird to think that she was going to be heading back home, even for just a week. How long had it been since she had left Argus in favour of coming to Beacon University? The annual Argus Social Equity Conference was one of the most prestigious events in her field of academia, and the thought that she'd actually been asked to present her undergraduate research there was mind-blowing.

Still, there was much prep to be done in order to head to the continent of Anima for the following week. She had spent the entire night previous unpacking her thicker winter clothes from their boxes, since Vale's weather was so much brighter in comparison to her home. Although the forecast for her time there was looking to be sunny, Pyrrha knew from a lifetime of shivering even on the hottest days in Argus that the sea breeze was enough to drop the temperature by over ten degrees, so her scarf collection was going to be put to good use.

The blonde straightened up. "Well, we'll be bringing your poster presentation, so don't worry about that," Professor Glynda Goodwitch explained kindly. "You just make sure you pack everything else you might need."

"I looked over the orientation package for the conference, don't worry," Pyrrha replied, standing up at last. She tucked away her laptop and stray notes into her large purse, slinging it over her shoulder.

"You're going to do well, Pyrrha," Glynda murmured, a proud streak in her eyes. "Your research may actually be picked up. It's an excellent meta-analysis."

Pyrrha beamed, nodding in thanks to the woman as she turned to walk to the door. "Thank you for all your help with it, Professor," she gushed. "I wouldn't have been able to finish it without your help. Well, you and Doctor Oobleck, of course."

Glynda chuckled, shaking her head. "We simply gave you the resources you needed. You figured out the trends on your own, so take that credit, Pyrrha."

The redhead blushed, pride bubbling up inside. Receiving praise from Glynda Goodwitch, one of the most highly-regarded professors in the Faunus Studies Department in Beacon, was no small feat. Pyrrha's research on the reporting biases in publications about the Faunus Revolution had been a passion project, so to see it so well-supported by her supervising faculty was incredible. "I should head out. My roommate is helping me finish up packing."

"Miss Valkyrie, was it?" Glynda asked, raising an amused brow. "She's a handful."

"I'm going to miss her," Pyrrha admitted. "This'll probably be the longest time in three years that we've been apart." It was true. Nora, her excitable roommate since her first year at Beacon, had been inseparable from the redhead since their first week in university. Every single birthday, holiday, vacation, and exam period had been spent together, along with their other friends and Nora's boyfriend, Ren. The thought of being away from her was honestly a little discomforting.

The blonde waved her worries away dismissively. "Well, you won't be alone during your specific presentation, so there's some solace in that."

Pyrrha paused by the door, frowning. "I won't be alone?" This was the first time she'd heard of that particular fact.

Glynda opened up the file on her computer, brushing back blonde bangs from her eyes. Scrolling through some list, hidden from view to Pyrrha, she explained, "Another fourth-year student will be joining you, since the presentation period will be split into two, with two students taking turns in each slot. You'll be with Jaune Arc. He's presenting on…" she paused, then pinched the bridge of her nose wearily. "Ah, yes. So you _were _placed with Mr. Arc after all… _that _boy. He's been working on an analysis on agricultural practices and their effects on…" The woman furrowed her brow, squinting as she tried to parse what was written. Finally giving up, she leaned back with a sigh. "You know, you'll be able to ask him more about it tomorrow."

"That sounds… fun," Pyrrha laughed awkwardly. _Jaune Arc? I don't think I've had a class with him before. At least, I don't recognize the name._

The elder woman clearly shared her disinterest. "It's valuable research, but I wish he hadn't told me that the only reason he grew interested in the topic was because of a board game," the professor groaned.

Pyrrha snorted despite herself. "He sounds funny," she laughed. "It must be an interesting presentation, if it was based on a game originally. I look forward to meeting him, then."

Something in Glynda's eyes shifted, and the elder woman scrutinized her with an odd look as Pyrrha shifted by the door. Then, with the slightest smile, she nodded. "I'm sure you two will get along well," the blonde replied cryptically. "And, if not, it's just for a week."

Pyrrha frowned for just a moment, examining her professor's expression. What was that smile supposed to mean?

But the woman didn't offer any more detail, which meant that Pyrrha had no choice but to let it rest for the moment. "We'll be meeting tomorrow at the airport, correct?"

"Everything's in the email," Glynda said smoothly, the strange look snapping away. "I'll see you tomorrow, Pyrrha."

The redhead waved to the woman, shrugging the stray thoughts about this mysterious presentation partner away. _I'll meet him tomorrow, _she reasoned with herself. _He seems fun. Or, at the very least, he seems entertaining. I'll for sure have some stories to tell Nora when I get back._

**xXx**

Glynda watched the 21-year-old wander out of her office, crossing her arms and leaning back against her desk. While she was indeed proud of the young woman she had been mentoring (and of the paper which had been put together with such speed and precision that her skills baffled Glynda still), it didn't feel right to be privy to the nonsense about to occur over the next week without warning the young woman in question.

How could she explain it, though?

She didn't have any time to ponder that, however, as a quick rap on the door of her office caught her attention. "Come in," she called, walking over to her kettle. She needed a quick cup of coffee to boost her energy- the final night of preparations before an away-conference was always the worst.

To her chagrin, entering her office was no student of hers. Instead, her peers filed in, giddy and excited as they took perch upon any available surface around the simply utilitarian space.

Taiyang Xiao Long, a Teaching Fellow in their department, broke the silence. "So, Glynda," he said excitedly. "Are you ready to put your bet in?"

She reached up under her glasses to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Are you _all _participating?"

Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck sipped his espresso loudly, then flashed her an enthusiastic grin. "Of _course, _Professor. This is what we've been waiting for, no?"

Professor Peter Port nearly cackled through his thick, grey mustache. "Our duty is to watch over the youth of this generation!" he announced. "And, of course, part of youth is _romance."_

Glynda groaned, "Miss Nikos is _so much better _than-"

"Now, now, Glynda," another voice interrupted, the speaker stepping through the door. The head of the department, Professor Ozpin, simply smiled at her peacefully, although she could see the wicked glint in his eyes behind his small, round spectacles. "We're not _interfering, _we're merely… putting the pieces in play. How they _act _once they meet one another is entirely their own doing."

"But… betting on it?" she protested.

The man sipped his own hot chocolate, his ever-present companion, and stepped out of the door. "Think about it, Glynda. Why not let the kids have some fun?"

She huffed, "They're not 'kids' anymore, meddling isn't appropriate, and this sort of 'fun' is _hardly _ethical-"

"C'mon, Glynda," the last professor to enter her office drawled, "apparently he's already holding a bit of a torch for her. If she's really too good for him, then she'll say no and that's that. If she does fall for his… stupidity… then we've done a good thing and," he took a swig from his flask, "I'll be a little bit richer."

She began massaging her temples. It was barely five o'clock. "Qrow Branwen, how are you already drunk?"

Qrow shrugged. "Need to fuel my genius somehow."

She groaned. His latest paper was getting a highlight feature at the conference. How he managed to produce quality work despite his drinking habits escaped her.

The five men were watching her expectantly. Deflating, she massaged her temples, then finally muttered, "I'll… tell you if I'm participating by tomorrow."

"Ooh, see the first real meeting before picking sides," Tai sang. "Smart. But wagers close tomorrow, okay? Ruby was serious about keeping it organized."

Peter guffawed heartily. "It's good to see young Miss Rose is utilizing her transfer to our School of Business fully!" he teased.

Tai rolled his eyes, defeated for a moment. "Don't remind me. She's becoming a criminal," he mumbled. Turning back to Glynda, he added, "Don't forget!"

"See you all at the airport tomorrow," Professor Ozpin said. And with that, the five men left her office, leaving Glynda alone to her thoughts.

_…I am so sorry, Pyrrha. _She paused. _I mean… I suppose it won't do any _harm _to her. It's ultimately all about her choice. But that Jaune boy? _She shook her head wearily. _This is going to be a long, long week._

**xXx**

With that thought in mind, Pyrrha wandered home to her dormitory hall in peace. By the time she arrived back, the sun was beginning to set, painting the skies in amber and pink just as she crossed the threshold of her bedroom. To her amusement, the sight awaiting her was just as silly and unexpected as usual; Nora was jumping on her bed as she spoke to her partner, Ren, the box spring and bedframe creaking noisily. Ren, on the other hand, was seated properly in Nora's desk, his eyes locked onto his textbook while he responded to her chattering with the occasional hum and word of agreement.

Upon seeing Pyrrha walk back into the large shared studio, Nora's eyes lit up. The girl lithely flipped midair and bounced off of her raised bed, rushing to greet Pyrrha with a hug. "Oh my god, Pyrrha, Ren says I can't come with you tomorrow!" she cried noisily as Pyrrha struggled to slip off her heeled boots by the door.

The redhead chuckled, patting her roommate's short orange hair comfortingly. "Nora," she replied evenly, "I'm not stuffing you into my suitcase."

"But I've never been to Argus," Nora moaned, pulling away from her.

"We can go for winter break," Ren soothed without looking up from his notes. "You've got midterms coming up. You should focus on those."

The shorter girl grumbled under her breath, but she reluctantly pulled away from Pyrrha anyways. "Did Glynda say anything about what's going on once you get there?"

Pyrrha laughed, stowing away her belongings. "I've already shown you the schedule, Nora. Not sure what else you're looking for."

"Oh, come _on," _Nora insisted, "she's got to have told you something!"

The redhead slipped into the bathroom, re-emerging in her pyjamas a minute later. Taking out her long, flowing red ponytail, she sighed. "Well, I mean, I suppose I found out that I'm presenting with someone."

Ren's head finally popped up from over the desk. "You did your research alone, though," he pointed out.

Pyrrha set off to make some tea in their tiny kitchenette. "Well, we're not presenting the same thing," she explained. "He's talking about agricultural… something? Two students are going to be assigned to each booth during the actual poster presentation, meaning we'll take turns while our partner helps us with tech and setup." At least, she _assumed _that was how the roles were going to work. The exact details of how the event was going to take place would only be explained once they were at Sanctum.

Nora frowned, jumping back onto her bed across the room from Pyrrha's. "So, do you know his name?" she asked curiously.

Pyrrha nodded, absentmindedly stirring milk and sugar into her earl grey. "Jaune Arc, I think."

"_What?!_"

Nora's sudden yelp of surprise knocked Pyrrha off balance, and in the blink of an eye, half of her tea had been spilled onto the floor, narrowly avoiding burning her legs. "Oh goodness- Nora, don't scare me like that!" the redhead scolded, cleaning up the mess. "What was that reaction for?"

She glanced over at her best friend, but the shorter girl had covered her mouth with both hands, stifling her muffled shrieks. Concern bloomed in her heart. "Um… do you know who he is?"

Taking a deep breath, Nora tried to settle her face into something resembling a natural smile. She failed. With a strained grin, the corner of her mouth twitching at the effort, she replied suspiciously, "No, I don't _know _him personally. I know of him, though. I think he's friends with Ruby."

At that, Pyrrha brightened up. Ruby Rose, the youngest member of their friend circle, tended to have the sweetest friends. It probably came from being doted on all her life by her older sister Yang, but the younger girl always found herself surrounded by kind people. _Well, maybe except for Weiss. _No one really knew why Weiss had begun to hang out with them, the heiress having long since moved out of the dorms in favour of living in a lavish apartment right off campus, but she didn't question the fact that Ruby was even able to melt the cold, pale girl's heart a little.

"Well, if he's friends with Ruby, he's probably not that bad," Pyrrha commented, straightening up after wiping the floor. She checked how Nora was doing, still confused by the other girl's potent reaction. "But why the scream, though? You scared me."

Nora giggled nervously, now focused on texting furiously, her fingers flying across her phone's screen. "Oh, no, I just thought of something else, don't worry about me," the orange-haired girl insisted.

"Really now? So who're you texting?"

Nora stuck her tongue out at the redhead. "Ruby, silly. I wanna get the details on this Jaune guy. What if he's actually secretly a weirdo?"

Pyrrha shook her head. She highly doubted that he'd be the _worst _person in the world.

That didn't stop Ruby, Yang, and Weiss from storming Pyrrha and Nora's shared studio within the hour, the group settling around the low coffee table while Pyrrha focused on packing her suitcase.

"So, Pyrrha- are you ready to hang out with our dad for the trip?" Yang laughed, throwing her long blonde hair back over her shoulder haughtily. "He's kind of dorky, but you know that he'll always make things… pun-derful!"

Everyone, including Ren (still finishing up his readings, of course) groaned at that. "Sis, you're the worst," Ruby groaned, burying her face in her hands. Raising her head slightly, she flashed Pyrrha a wry grin. "But seriously though, if Dad tries to show you our baby pictures again, please run. He's got too much blackmail on us."

Weiss sighed. "It's only blackmail if you're ashamed of what you've done, and I _highly _doubt the two of you have matured even a day since you were children," she muttered.

The redhead finally zipped up the suitcase, testing its weight. _Perfect. _With that, all of her belongings were ready to go for the next morning- all she had to do was get to the airport on time for her flight. "I'm sure Professor Xiao Long will be fine," she soothed.

Hearing that title used for their father, both sisters shuddered. "Oh no, please just call him Tai- if you call him 'professor' it'll go to his head," Yang cried.

Ruby leaned back thoughtfully. "I mean, I know that this conference is his whole thing and all, but like… what's Dad's job during it?"

"He's organizing the presenting students in the undergraduate section," Weiss explained smoothly. When her friends merely stared at her, she shrugged. "What? I read the university newsletter, okay?!"

"Of course you do," Ruby laughed, making room for Pyrrha as the redhead made to join them. "Pyrrha, do you know who's gonna be your partner for it?"

Surprisingly enough, it was Nora whose hand shot into the air. "It's Jaune Arc!" she reported proudly.

Ruby's eyes lit up in an instant, and she squeaked in joy, clapping delightedly. "Oh, this'll be so much fun!" she squealed. Turning to Pyrrha, she explained, "Jaune's a great guy! You'll have so much fun! We had the same standard timetable in our first year, so I've hung out with him lots." She quickly opened up a photograph on her phone and handed it to Pyrrha. "Look! Pretty good-looking, huh?"

Pyrrha took the phone without complaint, glancing at the screen. In the picture, Ruby was standing next to a cheerful-looking blond boy in a silly sweater and baggy jeans. He towered over Ruby, likely at least a foot taller than the younger girl, and yet, his cheeky grin made it feel as if he was extremely approachable.

The tiny tuft amongst shaggy blond hair, tied up at the top of his head with a cute hair bauble, likely helped the image, though.

The redhead snorted, looking at the picture. He seemed pretty relaxed, if he'd allowed his photo to be taken after someone (presumably Ruby) had tied up his bangs the way one did to a little girl.

"Isn't Blondie the one who threw up all over himself during that first-year retreat you went on?" Weiss pointed out, wrinkling her nose at the thought.

Ruby and Yang both snickered. "Ooh, boy did he ever," Yang giggled. "He's called Vomit Boy for a reason."

"Um…" Pyrrha could feel her stomach twisting lightly at the thought, putting the phone down onto the table nervously. "You _know _that I'm going to be flying with him tomorrow, right?"

The three girls immediately flashed her apologetic smiles. "Sorry," Ruby murmured. "I swear he's gotten better. It's been three years!"

"He threw up the moment you got off the rollercoaster at the fair this summer," Yang whispered loudly, holding her hand up to cover her mouth as if it would stop Pyrrha from hearing her words.

Ruby swatted her sister's hand away. "Ssh! You're ruining it!" Smiling at Pyrrha, she added, "Maybe stay away from fast-moving vehicles if you can help it, though."

The redhead crossed her legs, leaning back against her bedframe. "How did you meet?"

The younger sighed dramatically at the memory, falling flat onto her back. "It was a dreary and cold orientation," she announced theatrically. "Rain was threatening to fall over a somber morn, and-"

"Her orientation squad left her and Vomit Boy behind, so they got lost together and became socially awkward friends," Yang interrupted frankly.

Ruby groaned. "Ugh, guys, you have _no idea _how painful orientation was for our section," the girl complained. "I transferred out for a reason! Our orientation leader ditched us in like, twenty minutes! Jaune and I got separated from the group, but we couldn't find anyone else who looked even remotely familiar. We got _so lost."_

"So did you just… _miss_ the rest of the orientation?" Weiss muttered incredulously, looking up from filing her nails for the first time that evening.

Ruby huffed. "Well, I mean, we got back in time for the closing ceremonies in the stadium." She crossed her arms, pouting. "We just… hid out in a café and gossiped about the weird profs we'd heard about until then."

"Ooh, I like him already," Nora grinned wickedly, raising her eyebrows up and down playfully.

Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "I'm not exactly much of a gossip," she reminded her friend, "so I'm not sure how that'll help me."

Ruby smiled brightly. "Well, at the very least, I'm sure you two will get along!" she announced. "I can see you two fitting together perfectly-"

"Ruby," Yang warned, raising a brow at her. "Nope. Let Pyrrha form her own opinions."

Ruby blushed a deep red, looking away embarrassedly. "Why can't I hype up one of my friends?" she muttered under her breath.

"Not when you have a stake in it, you don't," Weiss scolded. Instantly, Ruby and Yang both shot Weiss a warning look, to which the girl simply rolled her eyes and focused back on filing her nails.

A 'stake' in it? _She probably doesn't want me to dislike Jaune- that would make things awkward, if we ever want to hang out as a group, _Pyrrha thought, laughing off their odd conversation. They were always plotting something or the other- she had long learned to simply ignore whatever shenanigans they were planning. "Either way, it'll be nice going back to Anima," she murmured. "I haven't really visited home in a long time."

"Ah, the prodigal daughter returns, carrying accolades and fighting for research positions to bring her family honour. You went to the high school associated with Sanctum Academy, right? How poetic," Yang teased.

The redhead rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Oh, quiet, you," she brushed off the praise. Yes, she had gotten a lot of scholarships and bursaries to attend Beacon, but she didn't like thinking about the so-called 'prestige' which those awards had brought her. They were isolating.

However, the mere thought of visiting her home over the next week sent a wave of trepidation rippling through her. It had been _so long _since she had visited her family home… What would her mother say when she saw her? That worry had been running around her mind for _weeks, _and she still had yet to come up with a concrete answer.

_We'll deal with that later. I need to make it to Argus first. _

Ruby sat up, nudging her side with her elbow. "Don't worry. You'll kick butt," she cheered. "And you and Jaune are gonna get really close!"

"Ruby," Weiss warned again, but Ruby just stuck her tongue out at the pale girl.

Pyrrha giggled, eyes drifting back down to the phone on the table. Jaune seemed like a nice-enough guy, if Ruby had become his friend in such a silly, innocent manner. Based on the photograph alone, she just _knew _that he would be clumsy in real life- he had a scruffy, bumbling look about him, but the goofy grin and bright, open blue eyes warmed her heart a little.

Being paired up with him for this conference wouldn't be that bad. At the very least, she knew she'd make a friend.

* * *

A/N: Reminder: if you want to see more of this fic, let me know! Cheers :D


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Well, I finally felt like getting back to this after lowkey debating for months on whether I should just let it die haha. Let me know what you think!

* * *

Calling Bluffs

Vale International Airport was constantly buzzing with life and energy, and Pyrrha felt dwarfed by it all.

With her carry-on suitcase in hand and her small backpack snug over her shoulders, the redhead made her way to the central terminal, past security and to her designated gate. Although it was still bright and early, people were flooding the airport, bodies moving in every direction. Signs flashed above terminal storefronts, with numerous stands and art installations and tourist attractions lining the massive facility everywhere she looked. It was enough to make her dizzy; and, with time ticking away on the clock, her anxiety was increasing little by little. She was running late, and she was _stressed. _

_Oh, Nora, _she sighed internally, thinking back to her pouting roommate who had refused to let her go that morning. _I hope I make it in time. _But with the endless crowd in Vale International, first she needed to _find _her group.

Thankfully, Glynda was taller than most people, her neat blonde bun and sharp glasses standing out of any crowd. Pyrrha spotted her easily and relaxed, then immediately made her way towards the woman; she was waiting by a small café, speaking to the other students and faculty who were going to ASEC together. A clipboard in hand and a coffee in the other, the professor looked just as put-together and professional as always.

That quickly changed, however, the moment Pyrrha approached, brightly waving at the crew awaiting their peers. "Hello everyone! I'm sorry I'm late," Pyrrha called sheepishly.

Instantly, Glynda's face flashed with a surge of panic before settling back into a neutral expression. She cleared her throat, then replied, "Good morning, Miss Nikos. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes ma'am!" Pyrrha smiled, focused on Glynda's expression. What was that brief look of trepidation she had seen?

Before she could dwell too long upon it, however, Glynda glanced down at her clipboard. "You're here, so all we're missing is… your partner." A small scowl hardened her features. "Does anyone have Mr. Arc's contact information-"

"I'm sorry, I'm here!" a bewildered, anxious voice called.

Pyrrha glanced over her shoulder, recognizing in a heartbeat the ditzy expression of the young man making his way over to the Beacon group. He weaved clumsily through other travellers, stumbling and murmuring apologies as he dropped his small suitcase's handle not once, not twice, but three times as he crossed the terminal floor. The chatter around Pyrrha died momentarily as the group all watched the young man achingly come towards them, finally arriving worse for wear. "I'm here, sorry about that," he mumbled, face burning red from the tips of his ears to well below his hoodie's neckline.

"Jaune Arc- do you have your passport and ticket?"

Blushing even darker, the young man pulled out a small bag literally zip-tied to an inner pocket in his backpack. "Yup," he said, pouting when other people snickered at his warbling voice.

Pyrrha couldn't hold back her light chuckle. She had been expecting a little bit of clumsiness, but this? _I can definitely see how you and Ruby became fast friends, _she thought fondly, the photograph of the duo popping back into her mind.

Glynda sighed, checking off Jaune's name on her list. "Alright. Everyone's here." Looking over the small gaggle of Beacon's students and staff, she took a step back, projecting her voice loud enough to carry over the din of the airport. "Students, please find your presentation partner. If you don't know who they are, Professor Xiao Long has the list." On cue, said man raised his own clipboard, smiling goofily at the students beside a barely-awake Professor Branwen. Glynda continued, "Take this time to introduce yourselves and get to know one another. You were paired based on your choices for conference sessions, so this is the person you will be spending the most time with for the next week. There was a slight delay, so boarding will be in about an hour."

With that, people split off with their partners, a few stragglers hounding Professor Xiao Long to find out who they were presenting with. Pyrrha turned around to find Jaune awkwardly staring at his sneakers. She smiled, approaching him. "Hey. You're Jaune, right?"

"Yup!" he replied instantly, perking up. When he saw her, however, his blush returned, albeit slightly less fierce than before. "That's me. Jaune Arc. Yes."

Pyrrha laughed, holding out her hand. "I'm Pyrrha Nikos. Professor Goodwitch told me yesterday that we're going to be partners this week. I look forward to working with you!"

Hesitantly, Jaune took her hand. His touch was warm, comforting, if a little clammy from the clear run through the terminal. "It's nice to meet you," he said, a shy, awkward smile on his face.

As he let go of her hand, his stomach grumbled loudly, and the flush only deepened on his cheeks. _Oh goodness, he really is clumsy, isn't he? _Pyrrha gestured to the café beside their gate. "We have almost an hour before we have to be ready to board," she said kindly. "Do you want to get some food? Have you eaten yet?"

Jaune's face melted into a surprisingly-sweet smile, eyes lighting up. "That sounds great," he beamed.

Pyrrha paused, struck by his relaxed expression. His eyes were the bluest she had ever seen.

After a moment, she shook herself out of it and grabbed her suitcase. She had eaten that morning with Nora, the other girl near-tears while eating some pancakes courtesy of Ren as Pyrrha had finished packing her backpack. She could do with another coffee, though. "Alright, lead the way!"

So, the newly-formed duo made their way to the café, finding a free table and settling in with their orders of croissants and coffee (or for Jaune, juice). She set an alarm on her phone for when they needed to head back to the gate, so they didn't have to worry about the time.

However, Jaune seemed oddly embarrassed as she asked him questions- any time she said something lightly, he would frantically avoid eye contact, focusing on anything but her. _Is something on my face? _she wondered, taking a quick peek at her reflection in the glass wall beside their table. She looked normal overall, albeit a little frazzled by the (needless due to the boarding delay) rush to the airport. _Why is he so uncomfortable?_

_Maybe that's just how he is, _her mind reasoned. _He's friends with Ruby. Can't be a bad guy._

Still, if he was this stilted and stuttering all week, how would the conference go? She didn't want to make him uncomfortable the entire time they were in Argus. So, Pyrrha did what anyone approaching someone in an academic setting would do: discuss their research.

As Pyrrha delicately tore a piece of bread off to eat, she murmured, "So, Professor Goodwitch told me that your focus is historical agricultural practices. Tell me more!"

After the initial surprise wore off, Jaune's face split into a wide smile, all of his previous unease magically melting away. Pyrrha grinned, getting comfortable and cozy as she sipped her coffee. _I knew it. _

So, Jaune began to speak. He was presenting on agricultural practices used in the different regions most affected by the Great War and their impacts on troop formation. It was such a specific, niche topic, and frankly, Pyrrha was baffled by it all, but Jaune spoke with more eloquence and excitement and fluidity whilst explaining battle strategies and wars of attrition than he had the entire time she had seen him thus far, so she simply asked questions and urged him onward as much as he could.

When he finally ran out of a bit of steam, choosing to instead focus on his own breakfast, Pyrrha laughed, "How did you get into the topic?"

"Oh, that," Jaune said, a slight pink tinge returning to his face once more. "Would you laugh if I said that I just… like super long battles 'cause of video games and comics and stuff?"

She wanted to with the sheer ridiculousness of it. She didn't, though, instead saying, "Not at all. I figured it would be something like that, based on what Ruby said."

Jaune perked up. "You know Ruby?"

"Yeah! I told her we were partners for this conference, and she told me you two were friends."

Instantly, Jaune's expression deflated. "Was Yang there too?"

"…there may have been mentions of vomit."

"Oh my god," Jaune groaned, covering his face with his hands. He frantically dug around in his backpack, then pulled out a packet of anti-nausea medication. "I swear I'm prepared, I won't throw up on you, I promise," he rambled, absolutely mortified.

"I trust you," Pyrrha said kindly. As she spoke, the alarm on her phone began to ring. "Oh- we should head back."

Jaune frowned, confused. "We have fifteen minutes, though?"

She flushed herself. She always was a bit too early for things- the only reason she had come a little late that day was because Nora had refused to let her leave their dorm room, citing, "You can't go on an adventure without us!" and pouting and moaning every step of Pyrrha's morning routine. The only reason she had finally, reluctantly let go of Pyrrha was Ren, the boy having said randomly, "Haven't you put money on this, Nora? Let her go." And Nora had obliged, giving Pyrrha one final, doleful hug before allowing the redhead to sprint to the nearest bus stop.

Thankfully, Jaune shrugged, scarfed down the last of his food, and stood. "Oh well. Let's head back to the gate then."

Pyrrha relaxed and nodded, and the two began heading back. Their gate was just around the corner.

As they got closer, however, a familiar laugh rang through the air. "Do you really think she's gonna go for it?" Professor Branwen's unmistakeable voice cackled. "He was such a _mess _today."

"Who knows," Professor Xiao Long replied easily, "women like idiots."

"You would know."

"Yeah- hey, wait, what the hell man?!"

Pyrrha paused, looking uneasily at Jaune. It felt like they were listening on a decidedly private conversation. "Should we join them?" she whispered.

"Or go sit back down?" Jaune offered, just as uncomfortable as she was. What in the world were the professors gossiping about?

Glynda's voice sounded utterly defeated as she said, "I cannot believe you are all doing this. Leave Pyrrha alone, please. You shouldn't be betting on their relationship status- and it's only a week, too!"

Pyrrha froze, eyes widening, breath catching in her throat. _What? _Silently, she crept up to the corner, listening as intently as she could. Why were they bringing her up?

"Look, they're 100% going to end up together before the end of the trip," Professor Branwen laughed. "Capable girls like her eat up guys like Jaune-"

"Qrow!" Glynda cried, the sound of an impact on cloth and a yelp of surprise from said man the only response.

Pyrrha felt herself want to _scream _as Professor Xiao Long's voice said wearily, "I just can't believe it blew up so big, right? Ruby's really outdone herself this time."

"Her sister's a piece of work for encouraging this nonsense, too," Glynda muttered.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder and almost jumped. Thankfully, it was just Jaune, the blond looking almost purple as he stared fiercely at his shoes. "We should go," he whispered, voice cracking.

Mutely, she nodded, scurrying alongside him to a small bench farther down the large corridor. Once they were sufficiently out of earshot, Pyrrha cried, "What were they talking about?"

"Don't look at me!" Jaune protested, the weight of his horror too much to handle. "I have no idea!"

The two of them helplessly stared at one another for a moment before the things they'd heard sent them both fumbling in a fit of pure, agonized embarrassment. Finally, Jaune mumbled through his hands which covered his face, "They said they're betting on our relationship status."

"Do they think we're going to… date?" Pyrrha squeaked. _God, _how she wanted to leave the airport and go home and crawl into her bed and _die of shame-_

"I think so?"

The only positive in the situation was that Jaune sounded just as mortified as she. Pyrrha sat down on a nearby bench, tucking her small suitcase between her knees and leaning her forehead onto the handle. Letting out a long, soul-crushing sigh, Pyrrha recalled, "They mentioned Ruby and Yang are in on it." Suddenly, Pyrrha jolted upright, horror cascading over her anew.

"What is it?" Jaune asked, peeking through long fingers.

"Oh my god," Pyrrha groaned. Nora and Ruby and Yang and- and even Weiss and Ren- _everyone _had been so excited when she told them that she was his partner for the conference. Had they all known beforehand that Jaune was going to ASEC too?

Was everyone in on it?

Something in Jaune's eyes clicked with hers, the frustrated determination in his gaze mirroring her own. Clearly something ridiculous was going on, and they were going to figure it out. "We have to ask someone," she said firmly, pulling out her phone and flipping through her contacts. "We can't ask Nora- she's got to be in on it." _No wonder she let go when Ren brought up money this morning, _she realized mournfully. _Who can we ask?_

"Ruby won't tell me, if she's the one organizing it," Jaune muttered, mimicking her behaviour and scrolling through his phone.

"Let's ask Yang?"

"Okay."

So, Pyrrha rang up Yang, putting the call on speakerphone and holding it up between herself and Jaune. The young man took a seat beside her, clutching his backpack to his chest in unease. They were going to get answers one way or another, but their flight was boarding soon.

Thankfully, Yang picked up fairly quickly, sounding slightly out of breath as she sang, "Hello!" The sound of jostling clothes and boots on pavement resonated in the background. Clearly she was on her way somewhere.

"Yang, what is this about a bet Ruby is running, and why is everyone in on it?" Jaune immediately cried.

There was a moment of silence on the other line, so long that Pyrrha had to check and see if the other girl had hung up on them. Yang eventually replied, laughing uncomfortably, "I see you've, uh… figured out our schemes. Before it's started. Great."

"What schemes, Yang?" Pyrrha said, suddenly absolutely exhausted. "Please, just tell us what's going on. We overheard Glynda and everyone talking about something like-" and she blushed, feeling her face absolutely burning, "-me and Jaune getting… together?"

"Together-together, as Nora would say!" Yang quipped.

"Not the point, Yang!" Jaune cried, absolutely horrified.

"Okay, okay Vomit Boy, calm down!" She laughed on the other end as Jaune's strangled cry of defeat rang through the air. "Okay. I'll tell you."

Pyrrha bit her lip, leaning back against the wall, awaiting an explanation.

"Look," Yang began nervously, lowering her voice. The footsteps in the background stopped. "Don't tell them I'm telling you about it, but basically… Ruby has always wanted to introduce you two." Hearing Jaune's squeak of disbelief, she continued, "Look, you're… you, so whatever, but Pyrrha's always been single! She hasn't dated _anyone _in Beacon and it's such a waste! So Ruby thought y'all would be a good pair. And I agree, I think you'd suit each other. But it's pretty unnatural to just force people together, right? So when Jaune told her he was going to Argus too, we started all talking about it-"

"'We' as in who?" Pyrrha asked, feeling totally helpless.

Guiltily, Yang began listing off enough names that Pyrrha wanted to cry.

The other girl said, "It's not like it's a bad thing, it's just- Ruby suddenly got super invested, and Weiss was saying that it'll never happen, and then they started making bets. Next thing we know, there's a whole betting pool and a bunch of people are putting down good money on it, and… yeah."

Gulping nervously, Jaune asked, "Um… how much are we talkin' here?"

The number that Yang muttered was _horrifyingly large._

"How many people are in this?!" Pyrrha cried, humiliation and burning betrayal making her heart pound in her ears. The feeling was only worsened by Yang's response- how had so many people found out about this bet?

However, Jaune cooled down in the blink of an eye. Calmly, he asked, "Okay. How many people are betting for us getting together? And what does 'getting together' look like?"

Yang groaned. "Oh my god, I am so screwed, I shouldn't be telling you-"

"Yang," Pyrrha said sternly.

"Ugh, fine. Let's just say there's only a handful of people saying you _won't _get together, as in, like… you won't kiss or go on a date or be openly affectionate in any way."

"For the duration of the trip?" Jaune clarified. When Yang hummed in confirmation, Pyrrha frowned as Jaune's eyes lit up mischievously. "Okay. So we're joining the betting pool."

"What?!" Pyrrha and Yang both cried simultaneously.

Jaune held up his hands innocently. "What? If there's only a few people betting against it, then if we bet against it too, we'll get some solid winnings since we won't be splitting the pool with people!" He froze, face falling. "I- I mean… we're not getting together, right-"

"Of course not! We just met!" Pyrrha said.

A stab of guilt drove straight through her heart as Jaune openly winced at that retort. He looked crestfallen. "Yeah," he laughed awkwardly, scratching his head. "No chance." Focusing his attention back onto the phone, he said, "Add me and Pyrrha to the 'against' pile, Yang. If people are _actually _doing this, then we might as well make money off of it."

And so, that was how Pyrrha and Jaune both agreed to put in twenty lien to the pool.

For a minute, Yang refused to allow them to join. "That's just rigging the pool," she whined. "Ruby's gonna be so mad-"

"Did you bet for or against, Yang?" Jaune asked.

"…for."

Pyrrha wanted to cry.

"In that case," Jaune said slowly, "can you switch sides? Just join our side and you'll get the winnings too."

"This sounds like a heist," Pyrrha murmured absently.

To her surprise, Jaune winked at her. "Good thing I love strategy games," he laughed. "C'mon, Yang, whaddya say? Join our team, put our names into the pool, and we'll make money together!"

After a moment of reflection, Yang chirped, "Y'know, that actually sounds like a rad idea. Hell yeah! I'm a double agent!" She paused, then repeated, "Ruby's gonna be so mad at me."

"_I'm _so mad at you," Pyrrha sighed. "I can't believe even Nora's in on this…"

"If it makes you feel any better," Yang said gently, her bluster and bravado stripped away, "we all got into it because we love you and want you to be happy?"

Pyrrha sighed again, but that comment was enough to put a little smile on her face. No matter how ridiculous the plan was, Pyrrha knew that her friends wouldn't have begun it with any ill-intent. Stupidity? Yes. Malice? No. "Yeah," she said. "I know."

Then, the announcement for their flight's boarding rang on the speaker system. "We should go," Jaune said, standing up.

"Okay kids!" Yang said. "Be safe and have a good trip! I'll let you go, but just remember- no hanky-panky and no falling in love, okay?"

"Bye Yang," Pyrrha replied, ending the call and gathering herself up.

Halfway back to their gate, Pyrrha paused, burying her face in her hands. Instantly, Jaune was there, murmuring, "Hey, you okay?"

"We're going to have to look at them, Jaune. All the professors are in on it. I don't know how to look at everyone! We can't let them know that we know about the bet, right?" she said nervously.

Jaune froze, gulping audibly. "…I hate this."

"Same." Still, they had no time to waste, and they were clearly too far in the thick of it now. With a rueful smile, she straightened her back, raised her chin, and lightly punched him on the shoulder. "You ready?"

Her blow somehow managed to knock him off balance slightly, but Jaune grinned back anyways. "Ready as I'll ever be, partner."

_Partner. _As ridiculous as this whole affair was, and as deathly-embarrassed as she knew she was going to be every time she saw Glynda and the others for the rest of the week, it was more than a little comforting to know that Jaune was just as, if not _more, _flustered by the situation as she was. That camaraderie felt nice. _At least we can still be friends and have fun this week. _

Either way, ASEC was going to be an adventure, and she hoped she was ready for it.


End file.
